- 100+ production machines — 3-axis (50+), 4-axis (20+), 5-axis (20+), 25+ turning, 7+ grinders, all confirmable on a walk-through. ±0.003 mm CNC milling, ±0.002 mm CNC turning; ±0.002 mm grinding, backed by CMM measurement and SPC with Ppk ≥ 1.67 at the initial study on key characteristics.
- MOQ 1 piece, lead times of roughly 3 / 7 / 30 days set by complexity and process steps.
- Mill-turn and grinding in-house for single-setup complex parts and roundness-critical surfaces.
Read the tolerance band before you read the index. Cpk is a ratio of the tolerance band to the process spread, not an absolute measure of accuracy. The figure above was recorded on a length characteristic with a 0.4 mm band (76.1–76.5 mm) — wide by design. Hold the same process spread against a ±0.005 mm feature and it fails outright. Ask for the band, the subgroup count and the sampling window on every capability number a supplier quotes.
Which machining processes run on the floor you can verify?
The service list is short because it matches the equipment: CNC milling, CNC turning, mill-turn, and precision grinding. Each maps to a machine count you can confirm against a live video — 3-axis milling (50+ centers), 4-axis (20+), 5-axis (20+), 25+ turning machines, and 7+ grinders. When a service maps to a named machine count, it stops being marketing and becomes inventory.
The process-selection logic you should hold onto is a simple hierarchy. If the part has pockets, holes, and flats, it is a milling job, and the question is only how many axes: three for prismatic work, four when side features need indexing, five when compound angles would otherwise force extra setups. If the part is round with threads and steps, it is a turning job. If it needs both in one part and the features must stay true to each other, it is a mill-turn job. If a surface must hold a bearing or seal, it is a grinding job. A supplier that can state this logic for your part is thinking like a machinist; one that quotes the part without naming the process is thinking like a broker.
| Process | Machine count | What it is used for |
|---|---|---|
| 3-axis milling | 50+ centers | Prismatic parts, housings, brackets |
| 4-axis milling | 20+ centers | Parts with indexed side features |
| 5-axis milling | 20+ centers | Complex geometry, fewer setups |
| CNC turning | 25+ machines | Shafts, pins, bushings, round parts |
| Mill-turn | Multi-task centers | Turned + milled features in one clamping |
| Precision grinding | 7+ machines | Bearing seats, roundness-critical surfaces |
What tolerances can each process actually hold?
A tolerance is a promise about a process, and the promise is only as good as the measurement behind it. The numbers here are tied to process and verified on CMMs: ±0.003 mm on CNC milling, ±0.002 mm on CNC turning, ±0.002 mm for grinding. The evidence is an SPC chart — on a representative length characteristic (76.1–76.5 mm), 25 subgroups showed Cpk = 1.851 (one characteristic on one part, not a blanket capability claim) against an initial-study target of Ppk ≥ 1.67.
Why grinding holds tighter than milling is worth understanding, because it tells a buyer which process to ask for when the print demands it. Milling and turning remove material with a rotating cutter or insert, and the finish they leave carries the geometry of that tool. Grinding removes material with an abrasive wheel that cuts a much finer, more controlled surface, so it reaches the tighter band and the smoother finish at the same time. When a print calls out a bearing seat or a sealing face, you should expect grinding to be named as the process, and should treat a supplier that promises the same number from a mill as one that is not reading the print.
| Process | Held tolerance | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| CNC milling | ±0.003 mm | Housings, brackets, prismatic parts |
| CNC turning | ±0.002 mm | Shafts, pins, bushings |
| Precision grinding | ±0.002 mm | Bearing seats, roundness-critical surfaces |
Which materials pass through the machines?
The material list matters because a machine shop is only as useful as the alloys it runs daily. This floor covers the families buyers actually specify: aluminum, stainless steel, carbon and alloy steel, brass, copper, titanium, and magnesium, plus engineering plastics including ABS, POM, nylon, PTFE, and PEEK. Every incoming lot is XRF-checked against its mill certificate, so the alloy on your drawing is the alloy that reaches the spindle — a check you can ask to see in the incoming-inspection record.
Not every alloy machines the same way, and if you know the difference, you read a capability list with sharper eyes. Machinability is the general ease with which a metal cuts to a clean finish, and it drives both cost and the process a shop chooses. Aluminum and brass cut fast and clean, so they suit high-volume milling and turning. Stainless work-hardens under the cutter, so it demands a rigid setup and slower, deliberate passes. Titanium holds heat at the cut, so it needs reduced speeds and a shop that has learned its habits. The table below is the general shape of that knowledge, and it is the reason a shop should be able to say which alloy it prefers and why.
| Material | Machinability | Typical process | Diligence note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aluminum (6061) | High | Milling, turning | Fast cutting, easy to anodize |
| Stainless (304/316) | Moderate | Milling, turning | Work-hardens; needs a rigid setup |
| Brass | High | Turning | Free-cutting, holds tight tolerances |
| Alloy steel (4140) | Moderate | Turning, grinding | Needs a defined heat-treatment route |
| Titanium | Low | Milling, turning | Low thermal conductivity; slow feeds |
How does the shop handle complex parts in one setup?
Every re-clamp is an opportunity for error. Mill-turn centers machine turned and milled features in a single clamping, which removes the stacking error that accumulates when a part moves between a lathe and a machining center. For you, that translates into tighter dimensional relationships between features and fewer chances for a second setup to knock a bore out of position relative to a face. It is the difference between a part that is "in tolerance feature by feature" and one that is correct as an assembly of features.
The second-order effect of a single clamping is on the inspection, not just the part. When a bore and a face are machined in one setup, the CMM report measures them as they relate to each other, which is the relationship that actually matters in an assembly. When the same features are cut in two setups, the report measures each against its own datum, and the gap between the two datums is the error nobody plotted. A buyer who asks "was this done in one setup?" is asking whether the dimensions were produced as a system or as a pile, and the answer changes what the inspection report is actually telling you.
What secondary operations are bundled, and who runs them?
A machining service should tell you where the part goes after the chips are made. Here the answer is explicit: anodizing (standard and hard), zinc, nickel, silver, gold, and chrome plating, powder coating, painting, brushing, and mirror polishing are bundled so you receive a finished part, not a machined blank. Heat treatment runs on a controlled route — the in-house ovens reach 500 °C, which covers aluminum aging and low-temperature steel stress relief, while titanium stress relief above that goes to a qualified partner.
Why the outsourcing note matters: a supplier that names what it outsources is telling you the truth about its scope. When anodizing or high-temperature heat treatment leaves the building, you know who owns the step and how to plan lead time — instead of discovering it after the order is placed.
Anodizing deserves a closer look because it is the finish you call out most often on aluminum, and the two common types do different jobs. The general distinction is thickness and hardness: a standard anodize builds a thin decorative and corrosion-resistant layer, while a hard anodize builds a thicker, wear-resistant surface for sliding or loaded parts. A supplier should ask which you mean, because the two are different process times, different thicknesses, and different prices.
| Anodize type | Thickness (typical) | What it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Standard anodize (Type II) | ~5–25 µm | Corrosion resistance, cosmetic color |
| Hard anodize (Type III) | ~25–100 µm | Wear resistance, loaded or sliding surfaces |
How do MOQ and lead time work for a first order?
The MOQ is 1 piece, so a first order can be a single prototype to validate the design before any volume commitment. Lead time is a tier, not a fixed date: roughly 3, 7, or 30 days, set by part complexity and the number of process steps. A simple part ships in about 3 days; a part running 10–20 process steps or needing surface finishing falls into the 30-day tier. The honest framing — "it depends, and here is why" — is itself the signal that the schedule will hold.
Capacity is the promise hiding behind every lead-time claim, and it is worth a direct question: "how many of these could you run per week, and which machines would you put them on?" A manufacturer answers with a machine and a count, because it schedules work against real spindles. A broker answers with a number it cannot defend, because it has no spindles to schedule. The capacity answer also tests the machine-list claim — if a shop says it has 50+ mills but cannot say which mill runs your part, the count was decoration. Ask the capacity question the same way you ask the machine question, and hold both answers to the same standard of evidence.
What does a capability page look like after diligence?
After you have run the checklist, a capability page should read as a list of things you can verify. The process maps to a machine count, the tolerance maps to a measurement report, the material maps to an incoming XRF check, and the secondary operations map to a named partner or a stated in-house limit. If a page cannot make those mappings, it is a brochure. This one is written so every claim has a document behind it, which is the whole point of diligence.
Reduced to a list you can run against any supplier's capability page, the check is four mappings, and each one is a question you ask rather than a claim you accept.
- Process to machine count. Does every listed process map to a number of machines you can see on a walk-through?
- Tolerance to measurement. Does every tolerance map to a CMM report or SPC chart from a real job?
- Material to verification. Does every alloy map to a mill certificate and an incoming XRF read?
- Secondary process to owner. Does every finish map to an in-house step or a named partner?
What this shop actually runs
If you ask for capability evidence, you deserve a specific answer. This facility operates 100+ CNC machines across 6,800 m2 in Dongguan, China, staffed by 100+ people. The machines, listed by category:
- 5-axis machining centres (10+) - Mazak VARIAXIS I-600 (510/910/510 mm travel, 12,000 rpm, 22 kW, 71.6 N·m, 30-tool BT40) and Mazak INTEGREX I-250H S (B-axis 0.0001°, 24 kW, 124 N·m, 38-tool HSK-A63). Geared to compound-angle parts, single-setup multi-face prismatic work, and aerospace fittings where datum transfer loss is unacceptable.
- 3-axis / 4-axis machining centres (50+) - Brother SPEEDIO S500Z2N / S700Z2N (10,000 rpm, 14/21-tool ATC, 0.7 s tool-to-tool, Z-axis 2.2 G) and Mazak VCE-430A L / VCE-570C L (10,000 rpm, 118 N·m, 24-tool ATC). Geared to prismatic parts, plates, brackets, housings.
- Swiss-type turning centres (10+) - Citizen Cincom A20-3F7 (Φ20 mm, 10,000 rpm), TSUGAMI B0206-III / B0205-III (Φ20 mm, 0.1 µm), STAR SR-32JII / SR-32J Type N (Φ32 mm, 8,000 rpm). Geared to long, slender rotational parts at ±0.002 mm.
- CNC turning centres (20+) - HEADMAN T70M/1250 (720 mm swing, 117 mm bore, 3,000 rpm, BMT75 12-station turret). Geared to shafts, bushings, flanges up to ±0.002 mm.
- Wire EDM (5+) - Sodick AQ535L (550/350/300 mm travel, ±20° taper, 800 kg workpiece). Geared to hardened tool steel, internal splines, sharp internal corners that milling cannot reach.
- Inspection: Hexagon CMM + 20+ gauges - Hexagon CMM for coordinate measurement, plus vision system, profilometer, hardness tester, coating thickness gauge, XRF for material verification. The 10:1 rule (gauge 10x more accurate than the band) is applied to every feature.
- Machine highlights - VARIAXIS I-600: one-setup multi-face 5-axis + MAZA-CHECK auto-calibration; INTEGREX I-250H S: DONE-IN-ONE mill-turn, B-axis 0.0001° + Ai thermal shield; SPEEDIO S500Z2N / S700Z2N: Z-axis 2.2 G + 0.7 s ATC; Swiss-type: guide-bush switchable + 0.1 µm resolution.
Tolerance bands: ±0.003 mm milled, ±0.002 mm turned, ±0.002 mm ground or wire-cut. Capability indices: Ppk >= 1.67 at the initial study; Cpk >= 1.33 ongoing in production.
Certifications: ISO 9001:2015 (116024/A/0001/UK/En) · IATF 16949:2016 (131941/A/0001/SM/En, design clause 8.3 excluded) · ISO 14001:2015 (116024/B/0001/UK/En), held by Dongguan Zhuohang Ltd (USCC 91441900MA4UWT6X39, since 2005).
Service area: we supply Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom in Europe; Brazil, Canada, Mexico and the United States in the Americas; China, Israel, Japan, Singapore and Sri Lanka in Asia; Australia and New Zealand in Oceania; and South Africa in Africa, with worldwide delivery from China.
Contact: Felipe Iglesias, [email protected], +86 13126536955.
Verify these capabilities against a real floor
Ask for the machine list and a tolerance report — email [email protected] or call +86 13126536955.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which machining processes can you verify on the floor?
In short, The floor runs CNC milling (3-axis, 4-axis, and 5-axis), CNC turning, mill-turn, and precision grinding, backed by 100+ production machines. Each process is visible on a live walk-through, so the capability list is something you can confirm rather than something they have to take on trust.
What tolerances do your machining services hold?
In short, Milling and turning hold ±0.003 mm (milling) / ±0.002 mm (turning), and precision grinding holds ±0.002 mm, verified on Hexagon CMMs. On a representative length characteristic the process showed Cpk 1.851 (one characteristic on one part, not a blanket capability claim), against an internal target of Ppk ≥ 1.67 initial for key characteristics and ≥ 1.33 for general ones.
Which materials do you machine?
In short, Aluminum, stainless steel, carbon and alloy steel, brass, copper, titanium, and magnesium, plus engineering plastics such as ABS, POM, nylon, PTFE, and PEEK. Every incoming lot is XRF-checked against its mill certificate, so the alloy you name is the alloy that reaches the spindle.
Can complex parts be finished in one setup?
In short, Yes. Mill-turn centers machine turned and milled features in a single clamping, which removes the stacking error that multiple setups introduce.
Which secondary operations can be bundled?
In short, Anodizing (standard and hard), zinc, nickel, silver, gold, and chrome plating, powder coating, painting, brushing, and mirror polishing are bundled, along with heat treatment. High-temperature work such as titanium stress relief above 500 °C is routed to a qualified partner and stated as such.
What is the MOQ and lead time for machining services?
In short, The MOQ is 1 piece, and lead time runs roughly 3, 7, or 30 days depending on part complexity and the number of process steps. Simple parts ship in about 3 days, while parts running 10–20 process steps or needing surface finishing fall into the 30-day tier.
Continue reading: Machining In China · Machining In China Factory · Machining In China Quality Control
Standards referenced on this page
- ASTM B211/B211M-19 — Standard Specification for Aluminum-Alloy Rolled or Cold Finished Bar, Rod, and Wire
- ASTM A276/A276M-17 — Standard Specification for Stainless Steel Bars and Shapes
- ISO 9001 — Quality management systems — Requirements